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When Verizon and AT&T rolled out their shared data plans back a few months ago, many U.S. smartphone users started feeling that true unlimited data plans were nearing extinction. To illustrate, Verizon actually stopped allowing users to renew their unlimited data grandfathered plan if they bought a subsidized smartphone.

But while many believed it won’t take much for the other two major US carriers (T-Mobile and Sprint) to stop offering unlimited data plans, it actually looks like U.S. residents with a massive need for data might still have a few reasons to rejoice. And it’s all thanks to the Magenta carrier, as T-Mobile has announced today that it will soon start offering a truly unlimited data plan. Owners of a T-Mobile subsidized device will need to pay $30 on top of their plans, while “value” plan users pay $20.

But wait, doesn’t T-Mobile already have an unlimited data plan add-ons? Well, the reality is that they market a couple of add-ons as “unlimited data” plans, but neither is really unlimited, as the transfer rates are throttled down after reaching a certain threshold. $35 buys you 5GB of data with high transfer rates, while $65 get you 10GB of data before speeds start dropping drastically.

Since the new T-Mobile Unlimited Nationwide 4G data plan add-on will coexist with the ones mentioned above, there’s obviously a catch to all this, as well: the new unlimited add-on will not grant you hotspot capabilities. If you can’t live without the ability of sharing your smartphone’s 4G connection with your laptop (or other Wi-Fi enabled devices), you’ll have to stick to one of the two throttled data plans mentioned above.

I’m sure some will complain about the fact that the new unlimited plan denies you any hotspot capability, but I personally know a few people that will get excited about the possibility of using T-Mobile’s HSPA+ connection to transfer unlimited amounts of data from and to your smartphone at the maximum possible speed.

The T-Mobile Unlimited Nationwide 4G is not a promotional package, meaning it is here to stay, and will start rolling out September 5th.

What do you guys think of this new unlimited plan from T-Mobile? Good enough to switch over or extend your contract? Let us know what you make of it in the comment section below!

Growing up in my father's PC store, I was surrounded by and developed a passion for technology ever since I was in kindergarten. However, advancements made in the technology world continue to amaze me on a daily basis! I've been writing about the Android OS since back in October 2008, when Google and HTC launched the first Android smartphone ever, the T-Mobile G1 / HTC Dream. Although I'm no company's fanboy, Android is the mobile OS I devoutly support.